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<title>They call it 'The Batman' by LuckyLadyLily</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22472155">They call it 'The Batman'</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuckyLadyLily/pseuds/LuckyLadyLily'>LuckyLadyLily</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Batman - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-01-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-01-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 06:48:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>525</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22472155</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuckyLadyLily/pseuds/LuckyLadyLily</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A version of Batman that leans into the idea of being a creepy ass cryptid.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>40</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>They call it 'The Batman'</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is only a single chapter right now, I might make more later so I am leaving it open ended. I have a few fun ideas. Light on the editing.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p></p><div class="reblog-content">
  <p>Gordon flipped on the modified spotlight, pointing it straight up into the sky. It was a stupid idea but Gordon had found himself out of good options. There had been a lot of talk early on about bringing the batman under some semblance of civilized control, discussion of how they could lure him out, maybe even coordinate. Today Gordon was just hoping he could point it in the right direction. </p>
  <p>The spotlight cut through the night up into the clouds where it formed a crude facsimile of a bat. Gordon considered it the only idea anyone had ever come up with for contacting Batman that had any chance of working. And Gordon waited, leaning against the spotlight. Five minutes, then ten. Gordon hoped the signal had been seen and understood. </p>
  <p>About a half hour in a voice came from the shadows behind Gordon. A low, gravely distortion of speech that could only pass for human in a nightmare.</p>
  <p>“Why?”</p>
  <p>Gordon spun around shocked. There had been no sound, nothing that might have indicated an approach, but the figure loomed less than a foot away and high over his head. Gordon took a startled step backwards into the spotlight, the figure moving forward to close the distance as he did, leaning over Gordon, it’s face only inches from Gordon’s now, covered in a leather stitch work mask. All except the eyes; dead, lifeless eyes shone like glass in the ambient light of the city, staring into Gordon’s soul. </p>
  <p>“Why?” It repeated.</p>
  <p>There was no proof that anyone had ever been killed by the Batman, but Gordon couldn’t help but wonder how many had seen those eyes in their last moments. He swallowed his fear, determined to deliver his message.</p>
  <p>“There’s a, well, we think it used to be a man, a scientist. Calls itself Clayface.” Gordon shook his head. “We just don’t have the means to fight it. But you fight things like Clayface, we’ve seen it."</p>
  <p>“Give.” The apparition said, leaning back enough to give Gordon some breathing room. The figure drew back it’s cloak, revealing a hand wrapped in worn leather gloves. The gloves were stained reddish brown and reached out for the file.</p>
  <p>Gordon held out the file and it was pulled from his hand, disappearing behind the cloak. Without breaking eye contact Batman spoke one more time.</p>
  <p>“Everything?”</p>
  <p>“Yeah, that’s everything we have. Clayface put a few of my best in the hospital, you know. Good cops, not the corrupt sons of bitches you… disapprove of.” The batman didn’t like bad cops. He had made that very clear, put more than a few in the hospital himself.</p>
  <p>Batman nodded, turned, and walked to the edge of the roof and straight off, plummeting down out of Gordon’s sight. Gordon stood stunned for a moment before sprinting over to the edge and looking down at the street below. There was no sign of him.</p>
  <p>The rumor was that Batman used to be human. That something had happened to him, twisted him, turned him into a monster like this Clayface. Whatever the case Gordon was glad the thing had decided it was on their side.</p>
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